Chapter 27 " Thank you , " I say quietly , my voice slightly wobbling . " I didn't do it for you , " Nathan replies - as if I would ever expect him to do anything for me . He nods to June . " She's just a little girl ; I would never let any harm come to her . " Warmth spreads through my chest at his words . That reason is even better than if he did it for me . " Still , " I say . " Thank you . " Nathan nods once , his eyes piercing me . " You're welcome . " I break the overwhelming eye contact and move towards the bed . There's a small stool by it , and I sit , leaning over my little sister . " It's okay , " I whisper , more for my benefit than hers . " You're okay . " I watch her small chest rise and fall - stronger than it had been earlier - and I reassure myself over again that she's okay . She'll be fine . But she almost wasn't . Now calmer , the suspicious circumstances replay in my mind , and I try to comb through them . I look up at Nathan to find him watching me and June , his expression characteristically blank . Before I can stop myself - before I can remind myself that he owes me nothing , I say , " I have ... suspicions . " He raises a perfect dark brow . " Suspicions ? " I nod . " Remember how I told you about her allergy ? " Nathan nods , his eyes darkening . " Yes . I'm going to have a long , unpleasant conversation with Anna about how garlic got into her meal . " " It's not just that . Jessica said she went back to look for her left - overs and they had been disposed of as if " " As if they were destroying evidence . " Nathan's body tenses . " And then the doctors ... " I shake my head . " They didn't seem to care . They did the bare minimum and were going to just leave her like that . They even asked me to leave the estate and take her to a proper hospital . " " The Ashford estate has top - of - the - line medical facilities , " he says , his eyebrows knitting together . " Everything they would have needed is here . " " And just before you sent for me , I saw someone suspicious . I didn't see her face , but now that I think about it , she was probably leaving my room . She headed down the staircase at the end of the hall - my room is closest to it . " Nathan doesn't say anything , but I can see on his face that he's thinking everything over . " Nathan , June means the world to me . If there's something up , if my sister isn't safe here- " " She's safe , " he cuts me off , his voice sharp . He moves from his position by the wall , throwing the book back into the floating shelf . He stands on the other side of the hospital bed opposite me . " She's safe here , April . I promise . " I swallow , my chest tightening at his words - his promise . " But- " " I'll sort this out , " he says , his voice taking on an earnest quality that stuns me . " I'll find out what happened and if anyone did this intentionally , they'll be punished accordingly . " I look back at June , feeling heavily conflicted . My first instinct is to take my sister far away from here and anyone who wants to harm her . But I find myself believing Nathan ; it's stupid and dangerous , but- 1/3 P P. Chapter 27 " Doctor Penny's been taking care of me since I was eleven , " he says , drawing my attention back to him . " She'll take good care of June , and your sister will recover in no time . " His eyes bore into mine and I see an emotion I have never seen before on Nathan Ashford's face - desperation . However mild , the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice are desperate when he says , " Don't leave , April . " Stunned , I blink . " I- " " Spring ? " My gaze snaps to June . She blinks up at me sleepily , her gaze a little unfocused . " Summer ! " Her pet name comes out as a sob as I lean towards her , taking her face in my hands . " Baby , how do you feel ? " She sighs . " Weird . Where am I ? What happened ? " I shake my head , forcing back tears . " None of that matters , you're okay , baby . " She turns slightly , her eyes falling on Nathan . A smile spreads across her face . " Hi . " glance at Nathan , and my eyes widen slightly when Nathan smiles - no , that's not a smile . He beams at June before crouching down next to her . " Hi , June , " he says , his voice slightly animated. " You're quite the fighter . " She shakes her head . " I don't fight ; I'm too weak to fight . I can bite though . " Nathan laughs - like an actual belly laugh . I just sit there , stunned beyond words . Since I came to the Ashford mansion , tonight is the most emotion I've ever seen from him . Earlier , with all the tension and angst and desperation , and now ... he's actually laughing and smiling . He shocks me again by reaching out and tenderly stroking June's hair . " The doctor said you might be a little groggy when you woke up . " He holds two fingers up in the air. " How many fingers am I holding up ? " Before June can answer , he adds a finger , then another , then drops three , and then starts to wiggle them so she can't give a definite answer . June starts to giggle and Nathan chuckles , shaking his head . " You can't give me an answer ; we're going to have to send you in for further investigation . My sister shakes her head , still giggling . " You're the one that needs further investigation . " Nathan laughs again and ruffles her hair . " You might be right about that . " Neither of them notices that I'm just sitting there , stunned . This Nathan - he's the one went to high school with , the one I fell in love with . Watching him now is like unlocking memories of the days I would watch him in the halls , laughing with his friends and wishing it was me making him laugh . And when he tickles June and she lets out a hysterical giggle , an unbidden image flashes in my mind - of him surrounded by little children , playing and laughing . And the children have his gorgeous green eyes and my curly blonde hair . The image disappears before I can unpack it , leaving behind a fuzzy feeling in my chest . And I feel the hope - the one I stuffed down before - poke its little head out as if testing the waters . I don't have the energy to suffocate it again , and I let it hover as I watch Nathan , remembering all the reasons I once loved him . Don't leave , April . And despite what I saw earlier with Lucas and Sarah , despite Nathan's threats and the fact that someone tried to hurt my little sister , even though I still don't have a chance in hell at winning this competition , I realize that I don't want to leave . Something I don't know what - has switched tonight . And I can't leave before I see how it all unfolds . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!